Cell type filter



July 6, 1954 E, GUNN 2,682,953

CELL TYPE FILTER Filed Jan. 25, 1951 gay/ INVENTOR." I Wfzarzm PatentedJuly 6, 1954 UNITED snares PATENT OFFICE CELL TYPE FILTER Earl G. Gunn,Racine, Wis.

Application January 25, 1951, Serial No. 207,740

2 Claims.

This invention relates to cell type filters and the form and arrangementof the filter elements of which the cell is constituted.

One form of cell type filter presently being produced involves a stackof disk-like elements of porous stock through which contaminated fluids,particularly oil, are drawn from the periphery of the stack to a centralopening for the purpose of removing the contaminants. and relativearrangements of these elements have been employed, some providing forcross-flow, i. e., passing the fluid axially through the elements, oredge-wise flow, i. e., passing the fluid through the elements in therespective planes thereof.

The major problems in such an arrangement of elements are (l) obtainingan easy, rapid flow of a maximum quantity of fluid with a high degree ofcontaminant removal, (2) the economic formation and assembly of theelements into the finished cell, and (3) maintenance of the cell againsteasy shrinkage or other distortion during use so as to avoid decrease inits efficiency or too frequent replacement.

The main objects of this invention, therefore, are to provide animproved form of filter element and a relative radial angulararrangement of a plurality thereof in a stack for a cross-flow cell typefilter; to provide an improved form of element whereby the laminatedarrangement of a plurality thereof in a stack constitutes fluid pocketsinterposed between sector-shaped chambers opening at the periphery ofthe stack of elements and extending radially inward on both sides of thepocket and substantially coextensive with the area of the pocket,whereby the fiuid is filtered transversely through an imperforate wallon both sides of a pocket and from which pocket the filtered fiuid'isdrained into a central channel in the cell filter; to provide animproved form and arrangement of a series of superimposed Various formselements such that a substantial portion of the peripheral area of thecell constitutes entrances to chambers overlying both sides of thepockets; to provide an improved form and arrangement of elements of thiskind made of identical configuration; to provide an improved form andarrangement'of elements which permits the respective elements to beperipherally sealed with an airhardening viscous substance throughoutthe circumferential portions which define each pocket; and to provide animproved form and arrangement of filter elements of this kind which areeconomical to produce, which will permit the use of material of almostany desired porosity,- and which will have great endurance under theseverest use.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view, partly elevation and partly section of a celltype filter constructed in accordshowing the relative angulararrangement for the formation of pockets and chambers; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail, showing the form of the pocketsinterposed between chambers and indicating the direction of flow of thefluid during the filtering process.

The distinctive concept of this invention involves a stack ofsuperimposed filtering elements of identical disk-like form withimperforate and open sector-shaped sections so assembled that oneelement with an open section is interposed between alternate elementswith imperforate sections to form a series of pockets intermediatesector-shaped chambers substantially coextensive with the area of eachpocket, which chambers open at the periphery of the stack of elements topermit the fluid to enter the chambers and spread over on opposite sidesof a pocket to filter through the imperiorate sections into the pocketsfrom which the filtrate is drained into an axial channel formed in thestack by registering openings in the hubs of the elements. Preferablythe peripheral portions of the elements which coact to form the pocketsare sealed with an air-hardening viscous substance so as to precludeentrance of fluid along that boundary of the pockets.

The herein shown embodiment of this invention comprises a plurality ofdisk-like elements of identical configuration 8, having sector-shapedimperforate and open sections so arranged that when the elements aresuperimposed in a stack 1 l and angularly arranged they form severalaxial series of pockets l2 each pocket being closed along itscircumferential periphery and interposed between chambers l3. Thechambers l3, as will be noted later, are substantially coextensive withthe pockets l2 and being open at the circumferential periphery of thestack ll permit the fluid to be filtered to spread out in the chambers13 and pass axially through substantially the entire area of theimperforate sections of the elements 8, 9, and Iii into the pockets I2.Such a stack ll of angularly arranged elements is supported on a tube Itfor operative positioning in a housing l5 whereto the fluid forfiltering is admitted and Wherefrom the filtrate is discharged, as willbe explained later.

The one-configuration filter element 8, a plurality of which constitutethe stack ll shown in Fig. l, is formed with a sector-shaped section Itand a pair of radial spokes IT. The sectorshaped section It is slightlymore than a semicircle with its chord 18 disposed on the opposite sideof thediameter of the element from its circumference I9. Thissector-shaped section It is formed with a sector-shaped opening 2!]substantially equidistant from the sector-defining chord l8. Thisprovides two sector-shaped imperforate portions 2! and 22 at oppositesides of the sectorshaped open portion 20. Between the two spokes I1,and between each spoke H and the adjacent imperforate portions 21 and 22are spaces 23.

Within the hub portion .24 of each element 8 is formed a non-circularopening 25 communicating through a slot 26 with the respective opening20. As herein shown the opening is in the form of a six-point star. Thispermits the elements, as they are formed or afterwards, to be assembledon a well-known type of indexing spindle whereby each element 8 will bedisposed successively one-sixth of a circumference in advance of theprevious one. To facilitate this assembling on an indexing spindle, and

, later to support bail rods 21 (see Fig. 1), apertures 28 are formed inthe ends of the spokes IT and around the peripheral edge of thesectorshaped section I6.

Thus, as will be apparent from Fig. 2 (reading upwardly), the successiveangular disposing of these identical elements 8 results in asectorshaped opening 20 in one element being located between thesector-shaped imperforate portions 22 and 2I of the next below and aboveelements, thereby forming the pockets I2. The spaces 23 between thespokes I! and on each side thereof adjacent the sector-shapedimperforate portions 2I and 22 for the three elements 8 next above andbelow the ones that form a pocket I2 constitute the sector-shapedchambers I3 on the opposite sides of each pocket I2.

As will be most clear from Fig. 3 the chambers I3 extend from peripheralopenings or inlets 29 radially inwardly to the superimposed hub portions24 of these elements. These chambers I3 are practically coextensive withthe entire area of a pocket I2. Therefore, the fluid entering thechambers I3 on both sides of a pocket I2as indicated by the arrowsspreads over the entire area of the pervious sections 2I and 22 andfilters through these sections into the pocket I2 from whence thefiltrate fiows out through the slot 26 into the channel 2| formed by theregistering hub openings 25. The openings or inlets 29 constitute nearlyhalf of the peripheral area of the stack II.

To block off the penetration of a fluid into the pockets I2 edgewisefrom the periphery of the stack II in between the adjacent abuttingfaces of the elements, a suitable seal 32 of some appropriateair-hardening adhesive substance is applied, as is indicated in Fig. 3.

So formed, a stack II of these angularlyarranged elements 8 is mountedon a tube I4 within the housing I5. The form and arrangement of the tubeand housing is not critical to a cell type filter embodying thisinvention.

The tube I4 is of adiameter less than the shortest distance across thehub opening 25 so that with the stack I I in place thereon the channel3I extends axially the full length of the stack exteriorly of the tubeI4. The channel 3I communicates with the interior of the tube I4 throughan aperture 3Ia (see Fig. l).

The stack II is interposed between end caps or plates 33 and 34. Thelatter sets on a fluidseal gasket 35 resting on a hub plate 36 supportedby an annular shoulder 31 on the tube i4. At the opposite end, afluid-seal gasket 38 is interposed between the end cap 34 and a hubplate 39. At its lower end the tube I4 is formed with a collar Ma and isthreaded internally for connection with a suitable conduit for conveyingthe filtrate to the point of use or storage.

The housing I5 is here shown of cylindrical form with a conical-shapedbottom and conicalshaped closure 40. Axially alined openings in the baseof the housing I5 and in the closure provide for the reception of thetelescopically arranged tube I4 and bolt 4I whereby the tube I4,

with the filter stack II mounted thereon, is appropriately positioned inthe housing I5, with the closure 40 drawn firmly down onto the housingI5. A spring 42 is interposed between the closure 40 and the hub plate39 so as to yieldingly compress the elements 8 firmly against each otherthroughout the length of the stack. Fluid sealings gaskets 43 and 44 areinterposed between the closure 40 and the upper rim of the housing I5and between the head of the bolt M and the closure 40. The housing I5 isformed with a suitable fluid inlet 45 and a normally-plugged drainoutlet 48.

Other variations and modifications in the details of the structure andarrangement of the parts may be resorted to within the spirit andcoverage of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cell type filter comprising a stack of liquidpermeable elements ofidentical configuration, each element embodying a sector-shaped sectionof slightly more than semi-circular form supported on a hub sectionhaving a central opening and having a sector-shaped opening formedtherein of less than one-third the area of the section and locatedcircumferentially equidistant from the section chordso as to be disposedbetween two imperforate portions of the section of equal area, thesector-shaped opening of the section being tapered towards its inner endand communicating with a narrow slit extending from the inner end to thehub opening, and a pair of spokes radiating from the hub to form threeequal area sector-shapedspaces the intermediate one of which isdiametrically opposed to the sector-shaped section opening and the othertwo of which are diametrically opposed to the respective imperforateportions of the sectorshaped section, the elements being superimposed inthe stack with the central hub opening registering axially of the stackand so angularly arranged that the sector-shaped opening of thesector-shaped section of one element is interposed between theimperforate portions of the sector-shaped sections of two other elementsthereby constituting a pocket between such imperforate portions disposedin axial registration with the spaces between the spokes of each twoelements above and below, and whereby the spokes defineperipherally-open chambers on opposite sides of each pocket for thereception of fluid to be filtered through the imperforate portions ofthe sector-shaped sections into the pocket for draining into the centralhub opening.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the peripheral edges of the threesector-shaped sections which constitute a pocket are sealed with anair-hardening substance against the entrance of a fluid into the pocketbetween the abutting faces of the section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,359,475 Gauthier Oct. 3, 1944 2,392,354 Alsop Jan. 8, 19462,495,095 Ewbank Jan. 1'7, 1950 2,501,582 Rohland Mar. 21, 19502,522,502 Clark Sept. 19, 1950 2,548,584 Briggs Apr. 10, 1951 2,553,820Gunn May 22, 1951 2,591,056 Ericson Apr. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 969,125 France May 17, 1950

